


We Learn to Survive

by Bleach_ed_Na_tsu



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Flames of Vongola, Flames of the Sky, Gen, Hyper Intuition, Hyper Intuition is Sentient, Introspective Tsuna, Post-Canon, Questions I have when I have 3 hours of sleep and 3 ups of coffee, sentient!flames, vongola intuition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23273989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bleach_ed_Na_tsu/pseuds/Bleach_ed_Na_tsu
Summary: Very little was known about hyper intuition, unsurprising given that it was a specifically Vongola blood secret. Still, there was so much unknown; how did it know about bullets, technology, the internet, cars? Tsuna decided, one quiet weekend that he was going to find out more. What he found was shocking, inspiring, and a little terrifying
Comments: 8
Kudos: 203





	We Learn to Survive

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back at it with my very off introspective, and often-times sentient Dying Will Flames and Intuition. I hope you enjoy; I've had far too much time on my hands lately

Tsuna was sitting in the family living quarters on the Decimo's side of the mansion, one quiet evening. All his guardians were gathered around him doing their own things.

Takeshi and Ryohei were locked in a brutal game of 'Risk' that for once saw both men silent; it was nice to see the two men using their incredibly terrifying strategic minds. Hayato was sitting beside Tsuna, a black-paged moleskin open on his left side, and the latest report from Shoichi and Spanner open on a secure tablet on his right. Tsuna wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but he supposed that Hayato was checking for discrepancies and would send back his own sketches for improvement; while the three geniuses used to work in tandem at the beginning of the Decimo trials and tribulations, things had calmed and Hayato had fully given the technological and research divisions over to Spanner and Shoichi years ago. Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta, and Kyouya were sitting at the far table, working on some university work, it was Kyouya's turn to tutor, since it was for the kids' law class. The man was smiling, and Tsuna couldn't help but relax seeing it; Kyouya only smiled openly here in their secure quarters after all. Mukuro was spread out across the rest of the sectional that Hayato and Tsuna were on, lightly dozing; he still needed extra sleep, a chronic condition after spending so many formative years in Vindice. Chrome was sitting on a pile of pillows in the corner, eyes closed and looking to be sleeping, but she was meditating. Tsuna only knew this for sure because she was floating about a foot off the ground and there were spectral images spinning slowly around her in her soft Indigo flames.

Seeing everyone here together, calm, safe, and warm made Tsuna practically purr, and his intuition seemed to second the sentiment. Closing his eyes, Tsuna fell back into his HI and pondered the feeling and images before him.

He was always so incredibly in tune with it, once the seals on his flames had been removed anyway, but it was only after the Shimon incident and before the whole Arcobaleno disaster that he really realised it. He hadn't realised how integral his hyper intuition was to him, and how much he relied on it. So, when everything was over, when things settled, and once he began taking over the Vongola right from under Timoteo's feet he really started to pay attention.

As he closed his eyes the world blooms around him. His flames bloom out of him, waves crashing against everything in the room, breaking against the furniture and blending with all the people he loves. Their flames touch his, warm and welcoming, comfortable with his synthesis now that he's been doing it since they were 18. He could feel their warmth, their happiness, their contentedness. Lambo and the children were filled with price and warmth seeing Kyouya smile, Chrome was filled with joy at having a family who didn't fear her gifts, Mukuro's dreams were smooth and cool, no nightmares when they were around him. IT was addicting, it was so incredibly potent to feel his loved ones feeling blending into his own, knowing that it was Tsuna that made this all happen for them. He was their _**SkY.**_

As far as Tsuna knew he was the only Vongola to ever achieve this level of synthesis. If Tsuna so chose he could fight with his eyes closed, he could tell who was near him without even a thought, he could tell people's moods just by touching them with this flames, **he could tell people's** _ **i**_ _nt_ **enT** _ **IO**_ **nS IF THEY WERE WITHIN HIS SYNTHESIS.**

Tsuna opened his eyes suddenly, taking a deep breath to sooth his intuition. As one his guardians swung their heads to him, eyes narrowed and flames flickering into reality, he smiled and waved them off, and after a minute they believed him and went back to their activities. If Hayato moved closer and pressed his leg to Tsuna's no one needed to comment. As he was the only Vongola to ever reach this level of synthesis, he was also the only one to feel it's heavy pull. It was disconcerting, and he worried deeply about Vongola madness.

He hummed and closed his eyes again, slowly falling into the synthesis this time, and allowing it to bloom out slowly. Nono had told Tsuna all about Vongola madness. One evening, before Tsuna took official hold of the Vongola in the eyes of the world.

* * *

Tsuna: 16, post Arcobaleno/Trinisette. 8 Years ago.

* * *

Timoteo was walking through the mansion for what would be one of the final times. Beside him, Tsuna was dressed for success, his suit fitting him snugly, a gun at his side, and his gloves now a permeant bracelet around his wrists. It had been a long time since he had to slip them on and off in a moments notice, much had changed since he was just 14 and Reborn had been send to him.

It made Timoteo so extraordinarily proud; and so incredibly devastated.

"You take the crown tomorrow." He mused, walking through the hall of history. "Though, you've worn it for a long time."

Tsuna smiled softly, and as he did his flames poured out. Reborn had tried and tired to teach him to wrap them around his core in an inferno of protection, but he just had too much. Instead they used it to his advantage. "Perhaps, Nonno." Tsuna relented, "But the mafia don't know that I've worn the real ring for almost three years. It'll be new for them."

The Ninth just hummed, spinning his own -fake- ring as he did. He finally stopped when they reached the sitting area in the centre of the hall of history, and after gesturing for Tsuna to sit he followed. Sitting across from Tsuna, he could almost believe that Tsuna was always supposed to be his heir; he could also see all his sons in the young man now. He could see Enrico's quick mind, Massimo's strength, Federico's kind heart, and even Xanxus' brutality.

And it struck him to his soul that he knew, now, that none of his boy would ever have done the Decimo position proud the way Tsuna does.

"You need to know, one, final thing before tomorrow." Timoteo begins.

"And that is why Reborn isn't here." Tsuna replies before Timoteo can continue. Tsuna's intuition purred, possessive, righteous, proud at being right, at knowing.

Timoteo huffed, truly amazed as always at the young man's intuition and how easily he fell into it- trusted it. "That's why Reborn isn't here. That's why none of your guardians or mine are here. This is for the Sky and the Sky of Vongola alone to know."

He paused then, leaning back into the couch and watching ad Tsuna did the same, their eyes met and held strong together, calm and flickering with their flames. The famiglia was strong, and Timoteo had to trust that this was the right path. He wondered, mutely, if his own mother felt the same when she sat with him, the night before his inheritance to tell him this truth.

"You know about Vongola now; about Dying Will, Intuition, Sin, and even have surpassed Zero-Point-Breakthrough. You are A Vongola without record. We have never seen a boss like you, and in all the histories since Giotto you have embodied this history like now other." Timoteo said, watching the proud smile flick Tsuna's lips, and feeling proud that the boy knew -finally- how to take a compliment and _believe_ it. "Which is why, more than any Vongola before you, you need to know about our one, major affliction."

Tsuna's intuition bucked then, growling, angry, refuting the words. _**Lies, he's telling lies. Doesn't understand. Can't know. Not powerful enough.**_ Tsuna eyes flood gold, and Timoteo takes a sharp breath, having seen these eyes in dire straights. For a moment, for a brief flicker of a moment he wonders if it's a mistake to have given his famiglia to this man, this man so steeped in his will it changes his physicality so easily.

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asks, sounding like himself, edging HDW, but curious and calm too.

"Madness," Timoteo finally breathes, "there is madness in Vongola, you have seen it. In Xanxus, in me. You've seen it in our sin when you took it at 14 in the future." He rushes out, feeling perhaps if he says it quick enough, he will save Tsuna from the fate. Give him a fighting chance against the addictive power of Intuition.

"Madness?" Tsuna asks, breathless for a moment. From shock or from the lunge his intuition makes against such a statement, he isn't sure. But there is a fear in his chest at the idea. He had gotten the impression that there was madness, something sick in his Famiglia, but his intuition had been the one to warn him about the weakness.

Timoteo could only nod and explain, solemn, sad; devastated even.

Tsuna could only listen and listen well. Horrified and angry that this was his legacy, that this is what became of his Famiglia once Giotto had been removed from power. Because Timoteo explained, well into the night, past the time Tsuna should have been asleep and preparing for the following afternoon. He explained how potent intuition was, how the stronger you were, the stronger your will and your flames were the more potent intuition became. It promised things: power, fame, money, protection. All the things that Vongola bosses desired. And the stronger your desire the stronger your will – well the easier it was to do whatever Intuition said to do. The easier it was to forget that Intuition had your best interests in mind regardless of the world, of society, and could easily say 'fuck the famiglia' if you were in danger.

"Why wait to tell me this? Why not tell me, train me earlier?" Tsuna accused, hurt that this was the legacy he was stepping into, furious that this wasn't spoken about more often. "DO your guardians even know?"

"No." Timoteo said, "They do not, they never will."

"How can they help if they don't know!" Tsuna exclaimed, standing with gripped fist. "They are your family. They are _**our guardians**_." He hisses.

Timoteo just shakes his head. "Maybe so. My intuition would never allow me to say a word. If it's different for you, so be it. You are destroying everything we in Vongola have built after all."

"You talk like it's sentient. Like Intuition is a person in our collective minds." Tsuna snaps back, smarting a little from the back-handed compliment. None who would count themselves in Vongola Nono liked Tsuna's plan.

Timoteo could only smile, twisted, sardonic. Mafia. "Are you trying to tell me it's different for you?"

Tsuna could only blink before bidding the Ninth good night. He couldn't say anything could he. Not when his Intuition rolled around him, and his flames wrapped around his core, flooding the space as he headed back to his rooms.

_**Safe. Cared for, he cares. Doesn't know. Doesn't understand. We are yours. We were meant for you.** _

* * *

Present: Tsuna 24.

* * *

The last few years had made it nearly impossible for Tsuna to think about the madness too much. He was busy settling the family, fighting off usurpers. Getting his youngest wards into a safe school, remodeling the Varia compound and the CEDEF, and just general family management. However, all the way through he had noticed the moment where his intuition was potent, would pull him, would know things that even he didn't realise.

It bothered him. It worried him.

However, unliked Timoteo - – Tsuna wasn't in it alone. He had his guardians. His guardians knew about the Vongola Madness, knew how to look for it. Tsuna's intuition hasn't stopped him from telling his guardians - and wasn't that another reason to be a little bit terrified of his Intuition.

What made Tsuna different? Well he was going to find out.

"Dame-Tsuna, be sure you stay at the Cabin while we're away. Xanxus has his grew on patrol, and they're the only ones who know you're here beside us." Reborn explains as he and the Guardians drop Tsuna off at one of Vongola's training grounds. It was secluded and very few knew about it's existence outside the upper echelon. It was perfect for training and that's what Tsuna was doing. He was training, and Reborn, despite his hesitations to leave the boss 'alone' couldn't argue when his once dame-student wanted to train.

"Don't worry Reborn, I've got it handled. You and the guardians need to try to get the rat out of our systems, and I trust Xanxus to see me safe. Besides, you have Vaipa clued into my vitals, so you'll know before I do if something's wrong." He laughed. All the upper echelon – Reborn included – had been chipped and synced to Vongola's artificial intelligence, Vaipa, a few years ago. The incident had left many scars, and no one was taking a risk anymore. Each guardians had another chip synced up to each other an had memorised the signals for each-other within a few days. Just to be safe.

"I doubt that, with that intuition of yours there little-boss." Reborn scoffed but waved off anyway as he headed back to the car to meet up with the guardians.

Tsuna smiled sardonically. "That's the point, Reborn."

And so Tsuna was left alone, to hopefully unlock the mystery of his Intuition, and the Vongola Madness that Timoteo was so scared about. He nervously twists his ring. "I could use your help in this Giotto, I feel like the secret starts with you."

As the ring warmed under his grip Tsuna could only smile.

* * *

Giotto appeared on the couch across from Tsuna just as the young man settled into a meditative state, Tsuna smiled warmly to the man who was more of a father than Iemitsu most of the time. Fair to say it wasn't the first time that Giotto (or any of the other guardians for that matter) had appeared to him, in fact the Primo and Decimo generation were incredibly close and often trained together. The Decimo's flames strong enough to pull the spirit-parts of Primo's generation from the rings.

"You called, figlio?" Giotto greets.

"What do you know about intuition?" Tsuna retorts, wishing not for the first time that he could offer his ancestor something to drink, but spirits do not need to drink.

Giotto hums for a moment and Tsuna waits patiently, he's not in a rush after all. "Not much to be honest, figlio. I didn't know my parents, or theirs, and so I know little about my ancestry. What I do know is that our intuition has been around for a long time, the people of my village who did know of my family say they were uncannily knowledgeable and 'lucky' until my own generations misfortune." He explains, and Tsuna is curious, his intuition must have come from somewhere after all, and he wasn't called Giotto's reincarnation for nothing.

"What about Vongola madness?" Tsuna pursues instead.

"Madness?" Giotto confirms, "Madness wasn't an issue when I lived, not from me and mine, or Ricardo from what I remember. Daemon's madness was a different kind entirely, but our progeny, or family Tsuna, we never had madness." He pauses then, looking grim and staring out through a window to the left. "But I know of it yes. I have seen it. Our sin had been drenched in it, and with each of Ricardo's generation I have been devastated by it."

Tsuna grimaces, not exactly confident in the answers he's looking for. "But where did it come from? When did Vongola develop Madness? I thought Dying Will keep us in check."

"Who knows. Dying will flames do keep us immune to many things, but madness is different. The madness I've seen, it's invaded the rings a time or two. Tried to warp our will." He cautions, "Perhaps the Mafia tainted our blood, perhaps our will and greed was always destined to warp out will." He laughs out a little sardonically.

The two men are silent for a stretch of time, the morning light having long since become afternoon shadows. Time means little to Giotto's spirit at this point, and Tsuna has become a long tinker when he is given the time. "Is there a way to contact our intuition to find out more about the madness?" Tsuna asks suddenly. "More so than in Hyper Dying Will or meditation?"

"I'm not sure." The ghost admits finger on chin and head tilting, "I might be able to help, as you know I am not truly who I was any more. Less a person, more a collective of memories. Our Will has never been so simple."

"What do you mean?" Tsuna asks with his head tilted.

"I am that which I embedded into the ring. My collective memories and experiences, my Will before my death. It is why you see me ad a young man, why I won't really age. Why the bosses in the ring are seen at various ages. The imprints of the Bosses and Guardians are made at different times of our lives, and our spirits take on those images. Those images take on memories and Will to be passed onto the next generation; to be given to you. I am both myself, and my Intuition."

"So you can guide me to where our Intuition is kept, because you recognize it as a part of you."

"And as a part of you too, Tsunayoshi. As the inheritor of Vongola's will, as my son and heir, intuition and will as yours as they were once mine."

Tsuna thinks on that for a moment longer, thinks about whether he truly wants to know about his intuition and about the madness. Afterall he had handled it well so far. He hasn't succumb and his intuition has guided him steadfast and aligned with his resolve. He doesn't need to know until there is a problem.

But then there is a nudge, a soft pressure as his flames wrap around him and spread out, his intuition warm and excited, almost asking him to make the leap. As if it were waiting for him to search it out.

"Okay, help me Giotto I want to search deep into our Will for our Intuition."

Giotto smiles, bright and wide, and for a moment Tsuna sees a flicker that would make him hesitate if it weren't gone and replaced by Giotto's usual warmth. "Okay, we will meditate together, but unlike usual think of your one intention. I will hold your flames and lead you deep into your flames, to your Will and your intuition. The rest is up to you. Are you ready, son?"

Tsuna nods, his final thoughts before the world fades around him are on his intentions, his will.

" _What is Vongola Intuition? How does it know so much?"_

* * *

The first thing Tsuna registers is warmth, so like the family living room when all of his upper echelon are gathered with their flames let loose yet separate from that too. He is not floating or standing, it is like he is existing separate from himself for a moment.

Giotto is gone, his presence completely vanished from Tsuna's senses. Unease starts to build in Tsuna's chest, like a low-pressure front rolling across the atmosphere and on instinct he searches out his flame bond with his guardians. Like hitting a brick wall Tsuna is suddenly thrown back into his body and the room explodes around him. His flames, for a moment are no longer in his control and he fights to reign them in as voices roar around him. So loud his mind cringes back, and yet so soft he feels comforted. He barely registers the overturned furniture before he is thrown into the only couch left in it's place by the force of the voice around him.

" **You want to know of us? Of our existence, sky lion?"** It asks. **"You search for answers within yourself, within us? You wish to know how we know, how we learn, how we exist? You shall know, we shall tell you, we want you to know and see and be at one with us as we are to your will."**

Tsuna grips his hair, tears welling to his eyes as he is inundated with voices, memories, feelings, realities, truths, and so much emotion that it overwhelms him. The voice is neither masculine nor feminine. It isn't young or old. It doesn't even speak, the things said just exist in his mind and core the way his flames exist, though separate from them all the same.

" **We learned what we had to."** They say. " **Our will is for Giotto's blood and will. But not."** It continues.

Tsuna cannot even speak as images flood his mind. Images of Giotto's birth, of his time in the orphanage. Flashes of people, abuse, starvation, of his and G running away.

" **The blood always had the potential, but it was Giotto who made us what we were. His ancestors always** _ **KNEW**_ **things, had an intuition. But he made us** _ **truly GREAT**_ **. We kept him alive, we whispered things and he** _ **truSTed**_ **us. So much. He believed in us. He let us** _ **LEarN**_ **the things he knew! And we did all we could to keep him safe."** Images of the Shimon, of Giotto and his guardians lives together, of what Tsuna believed was the beginning, the true beginning of the Vongola in Giotto's mind. " **And the things we did together! Such great and terrible things!"**

Spinning images of gunfire, of scorched towns, of people burning in flames of the sky; the utter devastation makes Tsuna gag, the smell of burning flesh and thatch almost tipped Tsuna over the edge. Tears burned in his eyes and he tried to rip himself from the scenes by throwing himself off the couch, but they wouldn't end.

" **But his will was so strong so we learned. We learnt it all. We learnt it well."** The voice trails off, and Tsuna wonders and hopes that it's over, but it isn't. " **And then we had to leave Vongola, and our blood was divided. Giotto's ancestors always had the potential, and when Giotto unlocked us, so did Ricardo. And it was great."** Images of Giotto and Ricardo together an apart slashed through Tsuna, he felt like he was living through them. Then the images slip off, like Tsuna was living two separate lives at once. Lives of triumph and torture and bloodshed and love. Tsuna didn't realise he was screaming and crying until his Intuition sent warm waves of affection. **"And then they had families of their own and we learned more and more and more. We developed and** _ **eVOLved**_ **. We lost our family to torture; we learned to see intentions. We lost our family to guns; we learned to sense a bullet. We lost our family to famine, betrayal, cars, machines, a hundred machinations by mad men and women; we learned."**

Tsuna lays there on the floor, sobbing for a hundred different reasons as his flames writhe around the room. He's shaking, the world a blur of tears and flames, and a thousand realisations about his family and himself.

" **We faded, in Richardo's line. Few were worthy of our gifts; they forgot that we were more than a 'freaky feeling'."** Intuition scoffed, and Tsuna calmed. **"We helped still, we learned, but we were no longer, we stopped being so strong. Even in Giotto's line, where dangers were so different -less in some ways – we became dormant. We waited so long for you, little lion. So long for your will, your power, we would do anything to see you safe. To see your WILL** _ **fULfiLLEd."**_

Tsuna struggles up, using the table to sit up off the floor, his face is flush, there are bruises on his legs from where he threw himelf to the ground. There are patches of burned skin where his flames could not be contained. He is trembling. "But the madness," he finally asks, "Vongola has a Madness."

The world freezes for a moment, his flames crawling like molasses around him before they spiral again in their curling flow. **"It is our fault, we suppose. We thought they were enough, their Will strong enough. We gave everything to the Vongola. But they betrayed our belief. They did not stick to their will."**

"They're human, humans are flawed. You are a part of us, surely you knew."

" **Only too late. They betrayed our trust, we were excited to enact their will, to save their people. It was only when their children burned or burned them that we'd realise it was too late."** Another pause, musing. **"But it won't happen again. We've learnt."**

Tsuna's arms tremble as he finally pushes himself against a wall, leaning heavily as if his body has no energy left. "How can you be sure it won't happen? What have you learnt?"

Images begin again and Tsuna's vision spots in panic. He doesn't think he can handle the torture again, the potent, poisonous images of his ancestry. He doesn't think he can handle such concentrated images and emotions and the feedback loop of his own heart anymore. He begs his intuition to stop begs it to leave him alone or end his suffering.

Then there is warmth, softness, the feeling Tsuna gets when he is surrounded by his own, **"But look, little lion. Look at what we have learnt."** And it is his life, up until his flames were sealed, and from the moment they were released again. The warmth, struggle, happiness, pride, all of it a swirling maelstrom so filled with love it makes his chest hurt. To see, without filter, without distraction, his _own_ feelings presented to him so clearly makes his sob for an entirely different reason. **"We have learnt, that we were made for you. For your will. Giotto's blood was made to be glorious, and until now it was not. We have learnt what to look for, who is** _ **wORth**_ **y and we will never be fooled again. Intuition shall only be bestowed upon the worthy. Madness shall have no room. Ever again. We promise. Believe us. Trust us."**

And he shouldn't. After the madness of the last two days Tsuna should not trust the voice in his head. Should sooner throw himself off the cliff outside his house than believe the voice in his head. He had been tortured by his own intuition; he had been blessed by his own intuition. If there is Madness in Vongola blood this is surely it. But the feeling, the pure and unadulterated love he feels for his guardians, and that his sentient intuition has for him and his life, he can't help but believe it.

He thinks he's mad, truly lost it; but Tsuna just laughs. Sobbing curled up against the wall in a destroyed living room in an isolated cottage training grounds owned by the world's largest mafia. Tsuna laughs.

"I trust you. We will keep them all safe. Forever."

And like that it's like the torture never happened, like everything makes sense and Tsuna understands why the Ninth and all his descendants struggled. They would never truly know what Intuition was or be able to trust it.

* * *

Some five hours later Tsuna's guardians walked in with smiles and grins, only for them to fall off their faces as the door swung open. The room that greeted them was a disaster. Walls were scorched, furniture was overturned, and the air was laden with Tsuna's flames, so much so that his synthesis was almost corporeal in the air.

Tsuna was sitting against the back wall, covered in bruises, clothes half burnt and hair a mess. His face was splotchy still from crying and sitting beside him, shoulder to shoulder was a very solid looking Giotto.

"Tsuna!" all the guardians yelled, piling into the room, shocked because they hadn't _felt anything_ through their bond never mind their technology that Tsuna was in danger. But their boss just smiled a dopey smile and gestured for them to sit.

"You'll never guess what my Intuition told me." And he almost broke into mad laugher when their faces fell as they looked around the room. "But we'll never have to worry about Vongola Madness ever again."


End file.
